Sooner or later someone will spill something on your pool table! Unfortunately, the cloth can get dirty, and droplets from drinks, chalk marks and dust, dirt build-up and food accidents are just some of the causes. Regular cleaning is important to keep the cloth looking its best and prolong its life.
Steps
Step 1. Remove the balls from the holes
Take the opportunity to clean them too by rubbing them with a soft cloth soaked in hot water.
Step 2. Buy a specific pool brush
It is a tool with bristles of two lengths: shorter in the center and longer on the sides. It is not expensive; you can find it online under "billiard brushes." Use it after each play session to remove dust, chalk and any contaminants that may have settled on the cloth. First dust the sides and then brush the cloth; in this way the dust that is on the edges will not fall on the cloth after cleaning it. Direct the dirt to the nearest hole with straight brush strokes. Do not make circular movements, as you risk going against the direction of the fibers and causing wrinkles.
Step 3. Remove dirt from each hole with a vacuum cleaner with a thin nozzle
Step 4. Polish the wooden parts around the sides, edges and legs of the table
While it has no effect on the cloth, this will remove dust that is on the wood and which could transfer to the cloth. Use a wood polish or oil; a specific citrus-based oil is also fine.
Step 5. Try a specific cleaner
If you wish, there are many products of this type that claim to penetrate the fibers of the cloth without impregnating it; furthermore, the manufacturers of these cleaners claim that sweeping up the dust and chalk does not solve the problem, because the particles simply move but do not come off. Do some research and ask sports store specialists.
Method 1 of 1: Fixing Liquid Spills
Step 1. Clean the stains immediately
Use only warm water and an absorbent cloth. The soap leaves a bad foam stain.
Step 2. Place the absorbent tissue over the liquid
Don't apply pressure, let the cloth do the work.
Step 3. Blot the area with a dry, neutral colored cloth
This way it will absorb the remaining liquid.
Step 4. Put hot water on the stain and let it reabsorb without rubbing
The billiard cloth gets damaged if you rub it, it loses its shape, it felts and it will never be the same again, so don't do it! Repeat the process until the stain is gone.
Advice
- Ask your playmates to rub the chalk on the tips of the cues away from the table. This way you minimize the chalk dust that falls on the cloth.
- Buy a table cover. You should always wear it when you are not using billiards; it is the best defense against dust and dirt.
- Timeliness is the key to good cleaning: fix it immediately when something spills on the table, and clean it after every game.
- Ask people not to eat and drink near the table and set up high bar tables with stools where drinks can be consumed.
Warnings
- Never allow children to play on an uncovered table and do not let pets walk or sit on it. If you let that happen, you will find yourself a scratched and ruined table. Always keep coverage.
- Avoid using soap-based products, as they leave residues. Always use a clean, damp cloth.
